Over the last three decades, more than 200 projects in Savannah have been completed, thanks to funding from a penny sales tax approved by voters. It’s also known as SPLOST, a Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax. But there are projects funded by SPLOST as far back as the 1990s that haven’t been finished. City officials say each project is different, and as a result the reasons they haven’t been completed vary. But they also say without the penny tax, there are important projects they couldn’t have done, like road paving, parking garages and infrastructure improvements. Spanning several different penny tax funding measures, a total of 41 projects between 1998 and 2014 are not done. Some haven’t even started construction. It was a major topic at Wednesday’s Savannah City Council Work Session. “I want to make sure one that what people are voting on they’re getting and we’re not rolling the money into something else,” said District 6 Alderman Tony Thomas. “31 years for sidewalks in Coffee Bluff, for example. If we can’t do a sidewalk project, forget about building a building.” The city says some projects, like the cultural arts center, are so costly that they don’t even begin construction until the collection period ends. Other projects, like drainage, are complex, so they take years of planning before the shovels even hit the ground. “There are a variety of reasons those smaller projects didn’t get done, but I’m not going to offer any excuses today. We’re hopefully moving forward on getting those projects completed,” said City Manager Rob Hernandez. Right now, the penny tax is collecting funds for major projects in Savannah, like the new arena and Project DeRenne, which will continue far beyond the end collection date in two years. Council is now preparing to ask the public for another vote in 2019 to extend the penny tax.They’re working to develop a list of projects and priorities for the next referendum.

SAVANNAH —

Over the last three decades, more than 200 projects in Savannah have been completed, thanks to funding from a penny sales tax approved by voters.

It’s also known as SPLOST, a Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax.

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But there are projects funded by SPLOST as far back as the 1990s that haven’t been finished.

City officials say each project is different, and as a result the reasons they haven’t been completed vary.

But they also say without the penny tax, there are important projects they couldn’t have done, like road paving, parking garages and infrastructure improvements.

Spanning several different penny tax funding measures, a total of 41 projects between 1998 and 2014 are not done. Some haven’t even started construction.

It was a major topic at Wednesday’s Savannah City Council Work Session.

“I want to make sure one that what people are voting on they’re getting and we’re not rolling the money into something else,” said District 6 Alderman Tony Thomas. “31 years for sidewalks in Coffee Bluff, for example. If we can’t do a sidewalk project, forget about building a building.”

The city says some projects, like the cultural arts center, are so costly that they don’t even begin construction until the collection period ends.

Other projects, like drainage, are complex, so they take years of planning before the shovels even hit the ground.

“There are a variety of reasons those smaller projects didn’t get done, but I’m not going to offer any excuses today. We’re hopefully moving forward on getting those projects completed,” said City Manager Rob Hernandez.

Right now, the penny tax is collecting funds for major projects in Savannah, like the new arena and Project DeRenne, which will continue far beyond the end collection date in two years.

Council is now preparing to ask the public for another vote in 2019 to extend the penny tax.

They’re working to develop a list of projects and priorities for the next referendum.